Well, friends, Labor Day weekend has arrived. This time last year I was anxiously awaiting a sweet mystery baby and this year we just finished celebrating our sweet girl’s first birthday (two weeks early.)

We are no stranger to road trips, but our last extended drive with two babes left us cringing at the thought of doing it again. We decided it was time and knew since the drive to our lake house is 8 hours with no stops we had a golden opportunity to regain our road-trip confidence. I’m so happy to report that both the drive there and the drive back went as smoothly as a road trip with no kids! Sure, there was the time we stopped, nursed, got all the wiggles out, went potty upon arrival and again at departure only to have Oshiolema whine with urgency “mommy, I need to go poo poo” after ten minutes of being back on the road…but that was the worst of it.

I have a full post lined up for our road trip hacks and essentials, but in the meantime, if you’re traveling with littles for Labor Day weekend I have some things to throw in your Amazon Prime Cart real quick.

This car organizer was kind of life changing. Having a small backseat and two large carseats makes for very little room, but we all know a road trip with kids leads to all.the.things. I put all of their food and snacks including spoons and water bottles in the front compartment and all their toys in the back compartment. This kept me from digging around the entire backseat for their toys and from hunting down quick snacks in the main food bag. HIGHLY recommend this thing.

This toy was given to the kids by their cousins and for whatever reason, it was a lifesaver. The lights were mesmerizing and the random astronaut lingo was entertaining and new enough to keep their attention.

When they nap, we play their white noise in the backseat, fade the sound all the way to front and listen to either sermons or podcasts. The ‘How I Built This’ podcast has been a long time favorite and it’s like listening to a deeper, more in depth Shark Tank. If that’s your thing, you’ll love this.

We arrived home yesterday evening and have some impromptu guests since our friends are visiting from Denver. The air was chilly enough this morning on my coffee/bagel run that Keogena needed a jacket and the crisp air burned my lungs on a whole new level during my jog. Welcome back, September, we’ve been waiting for you.

Tune in Monday for the start of my ‘Labor Day’ series where I’ll share how to host a baby shower, my essential hospital bag picks, and some birth favorites. Have a great long weekend, friends!